The Ministry of International Trade and Industry is considering revising the duty structure for fully imported hybrid cars and will be bringing the matter up to the Cabinet, minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced on Friday. This will be very good news indeed for companies like Premier Hybrid Cars Sdn Bhd.
This decision was made after a six-day trade mission to Japan which included meetings with the top management of Japanese car manufacturers. From there it was learned that car manufacturers preferred to centralize hybrid car production (in Japan, etc) and bring them into markets as CBU cars as according to them the logistics and assembly processes for a hybrid car and its components are more expensive.
Because of the uncertain (a politically correct word for flip flop) duty structures under Malaysia’s National Automotive Policy, car manufacturers preferred to adopt a wait and see strategy with hybrid cars, only introducing them slowly in a gradual manner. Only one hybrid car is sold in Malaysia now, the Honda Civic Hybrid.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin says Japanese car manufacturers are waiting for the policymakers to come up with something very attractive before stepping up efforts with alternative fuel vehicles here in Malaysia, so the ministry will be studying ways on how to offer this “attractiveness”. Our northern neighbours are so “attractive” that Toyota has decided to assemble the Toyota Prius and Toyota Camry Hybrid there.
“Our current policies are not proactive, so it is difficult for interested parties to enter our market. The result is billions of ringgit lost because of investments that have gone to other countries,” he added. Wow… no kidding, Sherlock!
After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
Now that’s an insult to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. How sad.
Hey wat are you waiting for…. bring them on…. i wanna own a toyota prius!!!
Better late than never.
This is a good move. Proton should team up with the Japanese and start producing cars that run on electricity fuel. Proton can produce the body and the Japanese can supply the battery. Maybe Proton can learn and make their own battery later on.
wow, such a “clever” decision!
us, commoners would “never” think of this idea.
what do they take us for? idiots?! come on, even my 17 year old friend already knew that was the way to go.
but at least, they finally got something right.
although i believe this decision might have something to do with Premier Hybrid just fresh into the industry.
wat is there to think. remove unfair taxes on cbu cars and the rest would work itself out magically. freedom of choice dictates that people would choose the best car thier money can buy.
i guess the only thing they need to figure out is how much cut each would get from the profits of Premier Hybrid Cars Sdn Bhd having a monopoly on hybrid imports.
when honda brought the hybrid in, everyone thought they were crazy. now everyone else is eating their own words.
common govt, see this through and help the rakyat.
Smell something fishy here. Please check Premier Hybrid Cars Sdn Bhd. backgrtound. I think there is cronism taking place here. maybe ACA should go to the MITI after their ‘journey’ to the immigration department.
**yawn**
it’s just and old man making hot gases….
this company’s chairman is none other than Shahrin Zahari (http://autoindustrie.blogspot.com/2008/06/premier-hybrid-cars-to-sell-hybrid-cars.html)
http://www.budiey.com/natasha-hudson-datuk-shahrin-zahari-berkahwin-4-ogos/
he also apparently trades in oil?!?!
http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/980536/rm500m_diesel_deal_with_thai_oil_giant/index.html
interesting.
i don’t mind if there was such a thing as porsche 911 turbo hybrid, range rover sport 4.2 supercharged hybrid, bmw m5 hybrid, alpina b3 biturbo hybrid, but then , there are none, so its useless
Told to sell Proton to VW, open the market, sure car makers will come
Why not remove APs as well? What does AP serve other than enriching the cronies?
Take APs out, take Taxes out. Freedom to choose.
no bad eh?…so the umno putera behind the AP also got a bit of power to ask government to review tax on hybrid car.
One hybrid car sold in malaysia is honda?…that means new hybrid company has AP approval but really not selling hybrid car?
When hybrid car firstly introduced here in Bolehland 4 years ago nobody bothers…even the G do nothing about it.. Now why so sudden??? So this Premier Hybrid Cars Sdn Bhd so powerfull aah..can even persuade minister to fly to Japan and nego with the manufacturer?? This is not something fishy lagi ley…this is AP buaya waiting to swallow kaw-kaw one..